Summary

The fight against tobacco remains a public health priority today, with nearly 12 million daily smokers in France in 2021.

As part of its mandate, Santé publique France estimates and monitors smoking prevalence, which enables the adjustment and steering of public policies implemented in the fight against tobacco use. Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable mortality as well as the leading risk factor for cancer [1]. In France, following an unprecedented decline in smoking between 2016 and 2019, prevalence has stabilized, with regional variations [2].

In Guadeloupe, the 2021 Santé publique France barometer data presented in this epidemiological report—intended for regional stakeholders—provide key regional indicators for planning and evaluating local tobacco prevention policies.

Daily smoking:

• Nearly 12% of those aged 18–75 reported smoking daily (Table 1).

The prevalence of smoking remained stable compared to 2014 [3].
A downward trend in daily smoking was observed among women, though not statistically significant (from 8.5% to 6.3%). Conversely, among men, a non-significant increase was observed (from 16.8% to 18.6%).

By age, a downward trend was observed at the extremes: among those aged 18–30 (from 16.3% to 13.5%) and those aged 61–75 (from 8.9% to 6.3%). An upward trend was observed in the middle age groups, among those aged 31–45 (from 13.8% to 16.1%) and those aged 45–60 (from 10.1% to 12.0%). None of these changes were statistically significant.

Finally, unlike most regions in France, the prevalence of daily smoking in Guadeloupe (14%) remained highest among those reporting a high income.

Desire to quit and quit attempts:

• The desire to quit smoking was reported by 69% of daily smokers, and 50.5% had made an attempt to quit within the past year.

Vaping:

• 15% of those aged 18–75 reported having tried vaping; this rate was higher among men (18% versus 12% among women) and among those aged 18–30 (42%). Only 0.5% of 18- to 75-year-olds reported daily vaping; this rate was 1.3% among 18- to 30-year-olds.

* at least 6 drinks on a single occasion